Brake actuator



-Oct. 25, 1932. H. M. BENTLEY 1,384,530

BRAKE ACTUATOR Filed April 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES HENRY MARION BENTLEY, OF SANTA RITA, NEW MEXICO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND PATENT OFF/ICE I MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BENTLEY BRAKE CORPORATION, CORPORATION OF MEXICO BRAKE ACTUATOR Application' filed April 25, 1931. seria'inq. 532,950. I

The invention aims to provide a new and improved actuator for the conventional brakes of railway cars, which may be operated to apply .the brakes by hand to either apply a braking action to the wheels, or to positively set the brakes for holding the car against drifting, for instance, upon a siding. In carrying out the above end, a further aim is to provlde a construction which 1s 10 simple, inexpensive and compact, and may be easily installed and kept in perfect op erating condition with practically no attention.

Yet another aim is the provision of a structure which will possess a greater degree of safety to trainmen and others, than the conventional hand-actuated brake-operating means now employed.

' lVith the foregoing and minor objects in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the application of the improved actuator.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view partly in horizontal' section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation as indicated by line 38 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4: is a horizontal sectional view partly in elevation, substantially on line 4.1 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4: but illustrating the action which takes place when the brakes are applied by the conventional air-operated actuating means.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view I on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a similar view on line 77 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a disassembled perspective view of the casing structure.

Fig. 9 is a disassembled perspective view of the brake-applying links, nut and screw.

A preferred construction has been illus trated and will be specifically described, with the understanding however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

The invention embodies a rectangular 'cas-' ing 10 having flat top and bottom walls 11 and 12, flat side Walls 13, and two end walls 14 and 15. The end wall 14 is provided with a central bearing 16 and with two slots 17 at opposite sides of said bearing, and the end'wall is provided with'an opening 18 alined with the bearing 16, and with a ball.

thrust bearing 19 at the outer end of said opening. The side walls 13 and the end wall 1 1 are preferably divided horizontally into sections, as shown, but the end wall 15 is preferably of one-piece form. The lower sec tions of the side walls 13 are by preference integral with the bottom 12 and the upper sections of said side walls are preferably integral withtlie top wall 12. The sections of the end wall 14: are secured to the sections of the side walls 13, by bolts 20, additional bolts 21 are employed for securing theend wall 15 to said side wall sections, and these side wall sections are secured to each other by bolts 22. The various sections of the casing are preferably constructed as or substantially as shown, for strength.

Lying against the end wall 15, is a bracket 23 which may well carrythe stationary race of the bearing 19, said bracket 23 being provided with an attaching'pla'te 2 1to be bolted to a sill or the like of a car. The bracket23 is also provided with a bearing 25, and this bearing may extend upwardly, downwardly, to the right or to the left from the casing 10, as may be desired, due to the construction described below.

The bracket 23 embodies a flat attaching plate 26 which lies against the end wall 15 and is secured to the latter by four screws 27. These screws are spaced apart ninety degrees on 'a circle concentric with the bearing 19. Hence, the same screws 27 may be used for securing the bracket 23 to the casing 10, whether the bearing be extended upwardly, downwardly','to the right or to the left. A short terminal 28 on an operating shaft 29, is rotatable in the bearing 25 and while this shaft would usually extend vertically as shown in Fig. 1, turning of the bracket 23 to any of the different positions above described, will allow said shaft to extend in other directions if desired.

A screw 30 preferably having a twin thread, is rotatably mounted in the bearings 16 and 19, being provided with a cone or other suitable thrust collar 31 engaging the bearing balls of said bearing 19. This screw 30 is connected by appropriate universally movable means 32, with the shaft terminal 28,"and rotationof the shaft 29 to similarly rotate the screw 30 applies the brakes as hereinafter more fully described. To lock the brakes set, a pin may be inserted through openings 33 and 34 in the parts 25 and 28, when brou ht into alinement as in Fig. 3, a padlock being used for securing the'pin in the openings if desired.

A nut 35 is disposed in the casing 10, and the screiw 30 is threaded through said nut. Two pull links 36 pass slidably through the nin 17, and connectin means 1s emp yed, tween the inner en s of these links and the nut 35, said connecting means and nut jointly forming a structure having flat sides slidably contacting with longitudinal walls'of the casing 10 to effectively guide the nut 35 and the links 36.

In. the present showing, the body portion of the nut 35 is rectangular and is provided with a hub 37, giving more extended area for screw threads. The upper and lower flat sides of the nut 35 slidably contact with the top and bottom walls 11 and 12 of the casing, andthe vertical sides of said nut similarly contact with the side walls 13, the nut being therefore held against rotation and effectively guided- In its vertical sides, the nut is formed with rectangular notches 38 which are alined with the openings 17, the links 36 bein flat and passing slidably through said notches and openin At their inner ends, these links are provided with inte ral heads 39 which lie against one end of t e nut35, said heads being notched at 40 to accommodate the hub 37. The outer sides of the links 36 and the heads 39 normally lie slidably against the side walls 13 of the casing 10 and hence said links are held operatively connected with the nut, and are effectively guided during their movements.

The outer ends of the links 36 are connected by an appropriate lost motion connection 41, with a pull rod 42 which is in turn connected with a lever 43 or other appropriate part of the conventional brake rigging of the car, so that when said links 36 are pulled inwardly, the car brakes will be applied. When these brakes are applied by air pressure in the usual way, the lost motion connection 41 functions to allow such application without necessitatiug movement of the links 36. In case a lost brakeshoe for instance, should necessitate that the rod 42 move an unusual distance toward the casing 10 when applying the brakes by air presure, the connection 41 forces against the links 36, sliding them inwardly with respect to the casing 10 and the nut 35, as shown in Fig. 5, the heads 39 then moving inwardly away from said nut as clearly shown in this VIEW.

By providing the novel construction shown and described or a substantial equivalent thereof, a brake actuator is produced which is advantageous from numerous standpoints, is less dangerous than those now commonly used, and will be more effective either for producing a mere braking action to check the speed of the car, or for positively setting the brakes to lock the car upon a siding or the like.

While the details disclosed may be considered as preferred,attention is again invited to the fact that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

I claim 1. A brake actuator comprising a rectangular casing having parallel top and bottom walls, parallel side walls, and end walls provided with alined bearings, one of said end walls having openings at opposite sides of its bearing, a lon itudinal screw in the casing having its en s rotatably mounted in said bearings, means whereby said screw may be rotate a nut in the casing through which said screw is threaded, said nut having flat sides slidably contacting with said top, bottom and side walls and having peripheral notches alined with said openings, two pull links passing slidably through said openings and notches and having heads at their inner ends abutting one end of said nut, said heads having fiat sides slidably contacting with said top, bottom and side walls, and means whereby said screw may be rotated.

2. A brake actuator comprising a screw, a nut through which said screw is threaded, said nut having fiat sides, two of which are provided with grooves unidirectional with said screw, two'pull links parallel with said screw and slidably received in said grooves, heads on said links lying against one side of said nut and having flat sides flush with said flat sides of said nut, and a casing in which said screw, links, heads and nut are received, said casing having fiat sides contacting with said flat sides of said nut and heads.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY MARION BENTLEY.

CERTIFICATE OF COEQREGHON.

Patent No. 1,884,530. October 25, 1932.

HENRY MARION BENTLEY.

It is hereby certified that the name oi the assignee by mesne assignments in the above numbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Bentley Brake Corporation, a corporation of New Meztieo", whereas said name should have been described and specified as "Bentley Brake Eereoration-No Stockholders Liability, a corporation of New Mexico", as shown by the records of assignments iii this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the reeerd of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of December A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Aeting Commissioner of Patents. 

